On Saturday, November 7, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum at 40 Presidential Way opens "Princess Diana: Love Life Legacy — A Life of Giving." The Library calls it the exhibition's first stop anywhere in the world. The show runs through May 31, 2027. That gives it about 29 weeks in Simi Valley before it moves on.
That run length shapes the whole local calendar. Visitors who drive in for a world premiere have to come on opening weekend. People who live here can come back when the hilltop is quieter, and from mid-November that means a single museum ticket covers two exhibits. Three days after the Diana opening, a much more everyday opening lands on Tapo Canyon Road.
What "first stop anywhere" actually puts on the hill
The exhibition holds more than 700 original artifacts covering Diana's life from childhood on, including fashion, handwritten letters, jewelry, historic documents and personal belongings. The Reagan Foundation's announcement names the pieces most people will come for:
- the Travolta dress
- the Black Sheep sweater
- the Caring dress
- the "Final Goodbye" gown
- her wedding slippers
- the royal wedding program
- the 1985 White House State Dinner invitation
- Lady Dior items, jewelry and letters
The Ventura County Star reported in September that the November 7 event is a world premiere and will include items and images the public has not seen before.
The Simi Valley stop also has something no later stop will. The Library's event listing says this version adds pieces from the Reagans' own archival collection:
"This one-of-a-kind pairing tells the story of the Princess of Wales and the enduring transatlantic bond between the U.S. and the U.K. It brings together iconic dresses and personal treasures from Princess Diana and Nancy Reagan."
The Library frames that pairing around a real event. The exhibit page shows President Reagan dancing with Princess Diana in an entrance hall at a November 9, 1985 dinner for the Prince and Princess of Wales. That fall 1985 visit links the Library's own collection to the touring show, and the Nancy Reagan pieces stay in Simi Valley when the tour leaves.
Why the long run favors residents
Because so many people are expected, the Foundation recommends buying tickets in advance. On opening day the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No timed-entry system has been announced, so the first Saturday will likely be crowded.
Admission is simpler than it looks. The Library's exhibit page says the Diana show is "Included with Museum Admission." The Foundation's general Plan Your Visit page still says special temporary exhibits require an extra fee. Check your total at checkout before you pay. Posted museum rates through November 6, 2026 were $16 general, $13 for seniors 62 and up, $9 for ages 11 to 17 and $6 for ages 3 to 10. Children 2 and under get in free. Prices after the opening may differ, so look at the ticket page when you book.
The best deal for regular visitors is a Foundation membership. Members get in free, and so do the guests who come with them. Over a 29-week run, a household that visits once with the kids, again with out-of-town relatives over the holidays, and once more in spring will spend very differently than a family buying single tickets on one weekend.
Wait one week and the hilltop adds a second exhibit
On Wednesday, November 11, the Library holds its Veterans Day Commemoration. The outdoor event is free and includes a flyover, music, military displays, a program, a book signing and a 1 p.m. screening of Atomic Echoes. Museum admission is charged separately that day, and veterans get in free.
Then the second exhibit arrives. Visit Simi Valley's holiday guide lists An American Christmas at the Library from November 14, 2026 through January 3, 2027. The Foundation describes the exhibit as 26 trees that trace American history and culture from the Revolutionary era to today. It also features handcrafted menorahs and Santa visits between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For about seven weeks, then, one trip up the hill covers both shows. The Foundation already sells it that way: its holiday lunch-and-tour and dinner-and-tour packages include both the Diana exhibition and the Christmas display. Each package has its own booking deadline, and so does the Library's New Year's Eve event.
| Date | What's happening | Detail to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Diana exhibition opens | 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; advance tickets recommended |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day Commemoration | Free outdoor event; veterans get free museum entry |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | An American Christmas begins | Runs through Jan. 3, 2027, per Visit Simi Valley |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | New Year's Eve celebration | Early-bird reservation deadline, 10 a.m. |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Holiday dinner and tour | Reservation deadline, 10 a.m.; includes Santa and Mrs. Claus, children's activities, choirs |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Holiday lunch and tour | Reservation deadline, 10 a.m.; includes live holiday music and Mrs. Claus |
| Mon., Dec. 21 | New Year's Eve celebration | Final reservation deadline, 10 a.m. |
The New Year's Eve evening comes with dinner, a champagne toast at midnight, live music, and after-hours access to Air Force One and the Christmas exhibit. That makes it the one night when the Diana galleries, the trees and the plane can all be seen after dark.
Down the hill, Photos with Santa begins at Simi Valley Town Center on Saturday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and continues Sunday, November 15, from 3 to 7 p.m. Reservations are required. Visit Simi Valley still lists the Town Center Tree Lighting Celebration's date and time as TBD.
Tuesday's opening on Tapo Canyon is the one for weekday errands
The Diana show will draw people from well outside Ventura County. The opening three days later is mostly for people who live here. Whole Foods Market opens Tuesday, November 10, at 9 a.m. at 2631 Tapo Canyon Road. Regular hours will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The store takes over the former Bed Bath & Beyond space. It covers 35,203 square feet. The company says it will carry more than 1,500 products from California suppliers, with produce, cheese, seafood, meat, prepared foods, bakery, and wellness and beauty departments.
Opening morning has a crowd-drawing perk of its own. There will be samples, and the first 300 customers get a Simi Valley tote and a Secret Saver coupon. The Simi Valley Acorn reported that pickup service should start shortly after opening and that the store plans a donation to Food Share Ventura County. Once opening day is over, the store is open 14 hours a day, every day.
Whole Foods is the largest of several recent openings around town. The Acorn's October 3 report on the city's economic development update listed these:
- Krusty Crepes at 2760 Tapo Canyon Road, Suite 8, a short drive up the same road from the new Whole Foods
- Schatzi's Bakery & Café at Simi Valley Town Center
- Kulturas Latin Kitchen & Cantina at 1213 Simi Town Center Way, a rebrand of the former Kalaveras
- Simi Valley Brewing Company, which began a soft opening at 20 W. Cochran Street
So the Town Center Santa Saturday, November 14, can be paired with a stop at Schatzi's or Kulturas at the same center. A Tapo Canyon grocery run passes Krusty Crepes.
On a full November Saturday, residents can buy museum tickets, which cover the Diana galleries and, from November 14, the 26 trees. They can shop at a supermarket that opened that week and eat somewhere that has been open only a few months. If you're planning holiday visits around the Library, or deciding which part of town fits how you want to spend your weekends, 1000oaksrealestate.com knows Simi Valley street by street. Let's Connect.
